Canada Sets Legal Requirements for Magnets in Toys

After issuing guidance on the use of magnets in toys, Canada has now amended its toy regulations to include magnet requirements.

SAFEGUARDS | Toys & Juvenile Products
NO. 103/18

On June 25, 2018, Canada published an amendment to it’s Toy Regulations. The new magnet requirements will come into force on December 25, 2018, 6 months after publication in the Canada Gazette.

The aim is to harmonize Canadian toy regulations regarding magnets in toys with those in the EU and USA. The Canadian regulations are a combination of both USA and EU regulations, but are slightly different. Concerns with magnets in toys are related to the ingestion of small powerful magnets by children. Once ingested the magnets can attract each other and may cause serious health issues, like perforation of the intestines.

The basic principles for avoiding such hazards is to ensure the magnets in toys are too large to be swallowed or too weak to attract each other.

Small magnets that may be ingested may not be stronger then 0,5 T2mm2.

This applies to lose small magnets and magnets that can get released during play.

The potential release of magnets is checked by performing use and abuse tests.

These tests include:

Drop, tension, torque, impact and compression tests

Soaking test for wooden toys, toys intended to be used in water and toys intended to be used in the mouth

Tests to check if a magnet can be released using the magnetic force of another magnet or a metal disk

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